Liane Cifrodelli stepped up to the free throw line with some nerves and excitement.

Metuchen and Middlesex were tied with 4.6 seconds left in overtime, and Cifrodelli knew she had to make her shots.

She missed her first attempt, but she stepped back up and sank the second before jumping in the air to celebrate her go-ahead shot.

The free throw proved to be the difference, as Metuchen earned a 43-42 overtime victory against Middlesex yesterday in Metuchen.

Cifrodelli went to the line following a loose ball on a Middlesex shot. The ball rolled between players for several seconds before she grabbed it and drew the foul. Once she made the shot, Cifrodelli said it was a crazy moment.

"I was so relieved. I couldn't believe it," the sophomore said. "I was just thanking God I made it, because I know how important it is to make foul shots. And at the end of the day, it's what it came down to."

The teams finished regulation tied at 37-37 and overtime was necessary thanks to a fourth-quarter comeback by Middlesex.

Trailing by nine entering the final eight minutes, Middlesex outscored Metuchen, 15-6, in the fourth quarter. Despite the comeback, Metuchen tried to remain composed in overtime.

"We had to play hard. We had to go to defense and rebounding," senior Jamie Wooding said. "We weren't getting box-outs at the end of the game and we had to get them."

After Cassie Smith and Ashley Palmieri fouled out in the fourth quarter and overtime, Wooding said, it was up to the rest of the team to play smart down the stretch.

Wooding led Metuchen with 17 points, 15 of which came from the free-throw line. After losing a couple players to foul trouble, Wooding and the rest of the team remained focused, Metuchen coach Val Gazda said.

"She's a true leader," she said. "She stepped up. And then Liane, to come into that situation and get fouled with 4.6 seconds on the clock. They did that, and we were good."

Giana Guarino led Middlesex with 20 points, including 11 during the fourth-quarter comeback. Tori Schweyher had seven points.

After opening the season with a last-second victory, Cifrodelli said it is a good way to build early momentum.

"It's crazy. It really gives you a boost to go play another game tomorrow," Cifrodelli said. "You can be happy about it, and starting off the season with a win is always a good thing."